Low Energy

The Benefits of Timber Frames

Recently, one of our Directors, Darren, enjoyed a really interesting site visit to look at the progress of EW Estates development in Little Bourton near Banbury. The reason behind the visit was to look in detail at the Scotframe timber frame solution. Incredibly neat, tidy and super efficient – this is a great way to de-risk projects and…

Why is Choosing the Correct Orientation for your Building so Important?

When designing a building, one of the most crucial factors influencing energy efficiency is the site orientation. This refers to the positioning of a building in relation to the sun, wind, and surrounding environment. It determines how the building interacts with natural elements, which influences its energy performance throughout the year. Careful consideration should be…

Contemporary Family Home In London

We’re delighted a project in north London, which has been with us for over 8 years, is very close to completion. This project, for a new family home in north London, came to us after a failed planning application. The local planning authority have proved very difficult to work with, but after much persistence, we…

What is a Certified Passive House?

By now, you may be familiar with the general concepts of what makes a Passivhaus or Passive House. A high quality home which prioritises the comfort and wellbeing of it’s occupants through superior air quality, and which is energy efficient with cheaper running costs. In order for a home to become certified, it must be…

The Right Time for Heat Pumps?

The Passivhaus Trust have recently released best practice guidance on ‘The right time for heat pumps: decarbonising home heating in a staged retrofit’. Their document discusses the how and when to make the switch from gas boilers to heat pumps in order to avoid unintended consequences, such as increased running costs or a reduction in thermal comfort.…

Integrated Photo Voltaic Panels

Here’s an interesting idea. Building integrated Photo Voltaic panels. What’s that I hear you ask? When it comes to fixing solar panels to a roof, it’s all about making sure they stay put, while also being mindful of the roof’s structure. For sloped roofs, which are the most common, roof hooks or brackets are securely…

Low and zero carbon technologies – what does this mean and what are the options?

Carbon-neutral and Net-zero Carbon are two similar terms. In both cases, parties are working to reduce and balance of their carbon footprint. However, Carbon-neutral refers to balancing out the total amount of carbon emissions, while Net-zero Carbon means no Carbon emission from any activity. Most of the industries and governments become Carbon neutral through the…

New House, Kent

This week, for pure indulgence, we bring you what is still one of our favourite views of this new house project in Kent. This image wonderfully illustrates how the house steps to respond to the sloping site. The interplay and separation of building form was also really important to minimise visual impact, perceived mass, and…

Penkridge, Staffordshire modern home passivhaus standard timber cladding zinc pond reflection

New Case Study – Passivhaus Home

The latest addition to our detailed case studies is this fantastic house in South Staffordshire. The house replaced an existing cottage on the site, which had been repeatedly, unsympathetically extended, and suffered from damp, and poor insulation. The client asked us to use Passivhaus principals to create a modern, high-performance replacement dwelling. The local authority…

What is a Mechanical Ventilation With Heat Recovery System (MVHR)?

Put simply, MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) provides fresh filtered air into a building whilst retaining most of the energy that has already been used in heating the air and building. This is different to most natural ventilation scenarios where stale hot air (from kitchens and bathrooms) is simply exhausted outside along with the…